Drivers of vehicles are required to fasten their seat belts and make sure all passengers buckle up as well.

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BANGKOK – As Thailand’s seven dangerous days of the Songkran New Year quickly approaches, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has used section 44 of the interim charter to change sections of the Land Traffic Act to immediately require, vehicle drivers and all passengers in a vehicle to fasten their seat belts.

The Order was, issued under Section 44 of the interim charter and was published in the Royal Gazette on March 21, 2017 imposing additional legal measures for the people and traffic safety.

The amendments were made to Sections 55, 123 and 141 of the Land Traffic Act.

According to the announcement:

Section 123 was amended to require the drivers of vehicles to fasten their seat belts and make sure all passengers buckle up as well.

Also under the new amendments, section 55 was amended to empower traffic police officers or persons authorized by them to remove a vehicle which has been parked in violation of the Land Traffic Act or use some devices to lock it up to prevent it from being removed.

The amendment to Section 141 empowers traffic law enforcement officials to notify the driver or owner of a vehicle who has been issued a ticket for violating the law to pay the fine within 15 days.

If the driver or owner of the vehicle does not pay the fine in time, the traffic police must send a letter advising the vehicle registrar to order the violator to pay the fine within 30 days.

If the driver or owner of the vehicle still does not pay the fine, a case will be filed with a court and the vehicle registrar will not extend the vehicle’s annual registration until the payment is made.

Last year’s death toll of 442 during the “seven dangerous days” of Songkran hit a new record, breaking the previous highest number from the year before.

From April 11-17, there were 3,447 road accidents nationwide in which 3,656 people were injured, according to Interior Minister Gen. Anupong Paochinda.

During last year’s Songkran holidays, 364 people were killed and 3,559 injured.